In a recent gathering celebrating the church’s 50th anniversary, Pastor William Kumuyi of the Deeper Life Christian Ministry shared a heartwarming story.
He introduced Pa Elijah Dosunmu, an 83-year-old former Apostolic Faith official who guided him to Christianity.
Now living in Lagos and running a school, Dosunmu had a pivotal role in Kumuyi’s spiritual journey.
During the gathering in Gbagada, Lagos State, Kumuyi reminisced about their initial encounter. Dosunmu had invited him to The Apostolic Faith, and in return, Kumuyi invited Dosunmu to his church, the Cherubim and Seraphim, where he served as a drummer.
When asked about his experience at the C&S church, Dosunmu simply remarked it was “active”.
He said, “He didn’t say, ‘It was bad, calling the name of angels.’ He just said, ‘active’. He is a good man.
“So, I accepted to go with him to the gospel church. But it was too quiet. People just sat down, they sang and they stood up, there was no dancing, gymnastics, nothing!
“And so, when we came out, he also asked me, ‘How was it?’ I did not have the wisdom they had or anything. But I said, ‘It was too quiet, like somebody in a cemetery, no dancing. I miss the dancing in my church.’
“So, eventually, he invited me again and I kept on going and I began to see the light and on the 5th of April 1964, I went to the altar, surrendered my life to the Lord and became born again.
“And he kept on doing the follow-up and teaching me gospel songs, with another friend. Both of them were responsible for making me switch over completely and eventually, I became saved, sanctified and baptised in the Holy Ghost. He was a great encouragement to me; that’s why I said I should call him out and show his face to you that this is the man, the brother, the minister that God used for me.”
The cleric, while commending Dosunmu, who also sheltered him at different times, said after he (Kumuyi) started evangelising, he attracted the wrath of the leadership of The Apostolic Faith.
He said, “When I was excommunicated for evangelism, he was a worker in the Apostolic Faith and he had to make a choice, where will he stay, what will he do?”
“Instead of staying there, where he had a good position, good connection, the people from the leadership to membership knew him, he chose to say he would not leave me alone; he would go with me, ex-communication or no ex-communication, that he would be with me. I respect his commitment and his contribution to my life as I was growing up.”
Kumuyi expressed joy that both of them were still alive to witness the golden jubilee of Deeper Life and prayed that God would reward Dosunmu.
He added, “I did not know all of those gospel songs, but now, all the songs that I know, I learnt through him.”
Dosunmu became one of the 15 people who started Deeper Life at the Flat 2 apartment of Kumuyi at the University of Lagos, Akoka.
He also became the first choirmaster of the church, which started in 1973.
